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Sporkman
September 25th, 2010, 07:41 PM
The Top Ten Benefits of Being a Minimalist

By Miss Minimalist

A lot of people think being a minimalist is akin to being a monk—living a sort of ascetic lifestyle in which you deprive yourself of “wordly” things simply for the sake of it.

Others regard minimalists with polite curiosity (why ever would you WANT to have an empty house?), or write us off as a bit quirky (since when is it quirky to count how many socks you have? ;-) ).

What gets lost in most considerations of minimalism is the true joy that can be found in the lifestyle. I think that’s the number one reason most of us adopt it: to make ourselves happy.

To this end, I’ve decided to wax philosophical today on the top ten benefits of being a minimalist...

http://www.missminimalist.com/2009/10/the-top-ten-benefits-of-being-a-minimalist/

CrimsonBizarre
September 25th, 2010, 07:45 PM
Pretty good, but often minimalist furniture can cost a load and may result in less money and more "keeping up with the Joneses"

Sporkman
September 25th, 2010, 07:49 PM
Pretty good, but often minimalist furniture can cost a load and may result in less money and more "keeping up with the Joneses"

Huh? What is "minimalist furniture"?

KiwiNZ
September 25th, 2010, 07:53 PM
Huh? What is "minimalist furniture"?

This

Bachstelze
September 25th, 2010, 07:54 PM
I love number 4: being a minimalist is good because you have more money on your bank account. Reminds me of Uncle Scrooge.

saulgoode
September 25th, 2010, 08:24 PM
I'd've thought a true minimalist would be satisfied with just two or three top benefits.

magmon
September 25th, 2010, 08:27 PM
This

WHEN DID YOU BECOME AN ADMIN?!?

I don't understand minimalists because I am a bit of a hoarder. Anything of potential future use will never leave my basement...

KiwiNZ
September 25th, 2010, 08:30 PM
when did you become an admin?!?

I don't understand minimalists because i am a bit of a hoarder. Anything of potential future use will never leave my basement...

2004

magmon
September 25th, 2010, 08:30 PM
2004

Huh. I never noticed xD.

Sporkman
September 25th, 2010, 08:34 PM
I love number 4: being a minimalist is good because you have more money on your bank account. Reminds me of Uncle Scrooge.

If that offends you, you could append "...to donate to your favorite ad-free websites" to your own copy. ;)

ubunterooster
September 25th, 2010, 08:40 PM
3. Less stuff = more time...it takes time to clean, maintain, and keep stuff in order once you own it. The less stuff you buy, the more time you have for other (more pleasurable) pursuits.My main reason.

koenn
September 25th, 2010, 08:52 PM
Huh. I never noticed xD.
you're lucky
:)

koenn
September 25th, 2010, 08:52 PM
I'd've thought a true minimalist would be satisfied with just two or three top benefits.

:)

magmon
September 25th, 2010, 08:54 PM
you're lucky
:)

If you're referring to the fact that I have never been disciplined by him, I would not call it luck so much as a general respect and understanding of the rules.

Did we just thread jack? If so, allow me to re-rail this train...

What is considered minimalistic? I thought futons where considered to be such, but the picture provided looks much more basic.

koenn
September 25th, 2010, 09:10 PM
i'd think: simple, effective, functional, light, clever, relatively cheap. IKEA or so.
Not the "minimalistic design" hyped nonsense.

Sporkman
September 25th, 2010, 09:12 PM
Not a design style, more like less quantity.

koenn
September 25th, 2010, 09:18 PM
Not a design style, more like less quantity.

I know,
just responding to the 'expensive furniture' and 'futton,s' comments.
As in "If a minimalist was going to buy furniture, it would probably be somethiung IKEA-ish"

And it's not only about less stuff, but also about less attachment to stuff. IMO.

ubunterooster
September 25th, 2010, 10:02 PM
And it's not only about less stuff, but also about less attachment to stuff. IMO.
true, that's mostly it

Bachstelze
September 25th, 2010, 10:06 PM
How do you define "attachment to stuff", though?

ubunterooster
September 25th, 2010, 10:24 PM
I don't hold emotional attachment to any object....well sans my lappy.

I could part with anything else with barely a flinch

yossell
September 25th, 2010, 10:49 PM
I thought this thread was going to be about Openbox or JWM or some such.

sisco311
September 25th, 2010, 11:04 PM
a free padded cell for the author!!!

koenn
September 25th, 2010, 11:06 PM
How do you define "attachment to stuff", though?

dunno.
maybe by how it would affect you if suddenly you didn't have <object>?
maybe by the measure of how your possessions make up your identity ?
maybe by how much your social live depends on ownership of stuff ?
....

Sporkman
September 25th, 2010, 11:17 PM
dunno.
maybe by how it would affect you if suddenly you didn't have <object>?
maybe by the measure of how your possessions make up your identity ?
maybe by how much your social live depends on ownership of stuff ?
....

Or, if you suddenly had to move, how much stuff would you *have* to bring with you, vs. selling off or leaving behind.

Sporkman
September 25th, 2010, 11:18 PM
I thought this thread was going to be about Openbox or JWM or some such.

Yes, UI/hard drive minimalism is talked up so much here, I thought a discussion about physical minimalism would be interesting.

ubunterooster
September 26th, 2010, 12:04 AM
Or, if you suddenly had to move, how much stuff would you *have* to bring with you, vs. selling off or leaving behind.
I only brought my SSD and some SD cards and USB drives, along with a few books

red_Marvin
September 26th, 2010, 12:13 AM
1. Valid.

2. That only works if the anchor is physical. If one switches to interpreting the anchor as a mental one it works the other way. The minimalist would keep the amount of objects to a minimum, thus limiting oneself to actions that can be done with those objects.
In that way the minimalist is anchoring oneself to a small set of interests at a time. Unless it is actions that need no material objects but then one is still anchored to those.

3. Time to do what? See #2.

4. Except for a emergency buffer, money is only a means to an end. Those who struggle with the buffer are probably more or less minimalists by force wether or not they would be having the choice, however one might also not be able to afford throwing away stuff just because one don't need it right now, see #7.

5. If you are trying to keep up with the Joneses' you are not likely to agree with the minimalist philosophy to begin with. If you're not, this point becomes moot.

6. Can't really argue with this one, although I think it is more a question of effective storage solutions.

7. Not throwing away everything you don't need at the moment will potentially also help you with solving a future task without buying something net. Perhaps lessening the challenge though.

8. See #7.

9. The biggest problems are related to food, water and medical needs. The minimalist philosophy (to me) seem to be more concerned with material things.

10. True, but if this is a problem it is about being the master of your things and not the opposite.

---

I pile stuff with potential future uses, but am pretty minimalist when it comes to new purchases.

Khakilang
September 26th, 2010, 06:33 AM
I think minimalist apply to those who are single living on their own. But what about those married with kids? I think those list will not apply at all. Maybe I am wrong.

sidzen
September 26th, 2010, 07:14 AM
red_Marvin wrote

"9. The biggest problems are related to food, water and medical needs. The minimalist philosophy (to me) seem to be more concerned with material things.

10. True, but if this is a problem it is about being the master of your things and not the opposite."

Physical and Mental are only two of the (at least) three aspects of humanity -- another one being the Spiritual. Some can discern it, some cannot.

I appreciate that the word "seem" is used. The so-called five senses relate purely to the physical and mental. They cannot address the third aspect of truly Human existence. Hence, the uncertainty that oftentimes manifests itself as confusion.

Chaos Theory is something transcendent to contemplate. Yet it is but a step along the path to more sublime questions raised by Quantum Physics. Our minds and the various Scientific Disciplines make the truly important seem chaotic and contradictory when, in reality, Truth is not that complicated. We need only surrender to it and accept that simplicity is a path towards the understanding of that Ultimate Reality, which does not exist in this world of pairs of opposites (also alluded to in the above quotation), which we oftentimes are not able to see beyond.

BTW, the quotation only exemplifies the train of thought which, in scientific terms, is insufficient but, unfortunately, all too common.

Unadorned is a synonym for simplicity, whose conceptual roots include minimalism. Kudos for miss minimalist! Nutritious food for thought!

Spike-X
September 26th, 2010, 09:17 AM
Huh? What is "minimalist furniture"?


This


I'd've thought a true minimalist would be satisfied with just two or three top benefits.

Gold, gentlemen. Gold.

BabakSM
September 26th, 2010, 01:52 PM
What's the point in having more money if you don't like to spend? The people who want alot of money are the ones that like to spend alot.

NMFTM
September 26th, 2010, 02:53 PM
"Wise people are in want of nothing, and yet need many things. On the other hand, nothing is needed by fools, for they do not understand how to use anything, but are in want of everything." - Chrysippus

I think minimalist apply to those who are single living on their own. But what about those married with kids? I think those list will not apply at all. Maybe I am wrong.
Crates of Thebes and his wife Hipparchia were both minimalists and they also has two kids.

Sporkman
September 26th, 2010, 03:36 PM
What's the point in having more money if you don't like to spend? The people who want alot of money are the ones that like to spend alot.

There are many positive reasons for having money (at least here in the US - in other places like Europe, government social programs make savings less necessary):

1. Freedom: The freedom to quit a job you hate, the ability to have more free time to do what you want to do. The freedom to work on FOSS projects for free. :)

2. Retirement: The ability to retire at a decent age (kind of similar to (1)).

3. Security: If your lose your job, or get sick and are unable to work, or if you suffer some sort of economic loss like via a natural disaster, you'll be able to cope with that much better.